Income Tax Evader Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 1, 2014

PITTSBURGH - A resident of Clarksburg, West Virginia, has been sentenced in federal court to 15 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on his conviction of income tax evasion, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on James R. Corbitt.

According to information presented to the court, during the tax years 2005 through 2009, Corbitt, an employee of Nexus Medical Services located in Westmoreland County, evaded income tax by diverting cash and checks payable to Nexus to himself, and by having Nexus pay for his personal expenses, including $77,000 for an apartment in Greensburg, $101,000 for personal cars and a motorcycle, and such items as his utilities, cable bill, and lawn and maid service. For the year 2008, the year to which he pleaded guilty, Corbitt reported income of $11,000 and tax due of $1,103, while his actual income was $167,079, upon which tax was due and owing of $29,564. The total amount of tax loss is $102,102, which does not include interest or penalties.

Corbitt was convicted in federal court in Ohio in 1993 of theft of government funds and filing a false tax return. He was sentenced to an 18-month term of incarceration on that occasion.

Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Cercone stated that the sentence “is important to deter others from cheating on their taxes.”

Assistant United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Corbitt.